Constantly lame horse :(

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IndiaMoonpig

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Just wondering whether anyone can offer any form of advice really.

My mare (5 year old ISH) is on loan and due back in about 6 weeks. However she's been lame for a while now. Initially, we thought it was a stone bruise (vet was consulted) so put her on box rest but after a couple of weeks of box rest, had the farrier check for an abscess just in case. Farrier said it wasn't an abscess and suggested we called the vet to get it checked. Vet called and she was taken in for nerve blocking. Vet trotted her up on the tarmac at the horsepital (quite stoney on the yard so couldn't really do it there) and said that there was a flare on her left front hoof that was causing her to fall on her hoof on the outer edge and that was the cause of the lameness. Suggested a full set of shoes. My mare can throw the odd kick when playing in the field so asked if she could be trimmed and have boots on the fronts for a while and vet said yes that should be fine. Anyway, that didn't work so I agreed to front shoes. 5(ish) weeks on, she still wasn't quite sound (didn't stop her galloping round her field given half a chance apparently!) Vet called and told to get gel pads in between the shoes. Farrier called, said her hoof confirmation was looking better and put the gel pads on with the shoes. 4 days on, and she still isn't right. Is it just a case of waiting and hoping she becomes sound?

I really hope it's just a case of rectifying the hoof confirmation through trimming and I do realise that that will take some time but I sort of fell that there has to be something else to it... Any comments at all would be appreciated..
 
You will inevitably get lots of people whose horse's symptoms will coincide with your own and be a myriad of things. One thing I will say is don't wait too long, trying this that and t'other. I sent my mare in for a work up finally after doing just that and she ended up not coming home at the end of it all (my choice, she could have come as an "ornament")
If something just doesn't feel right - it's usually not.
I do hope that helps and doesn't fill you with dread but i'd rather a proper work up and find nothing than dilly dally around and miss something.
 
Sound like there is a lot of focus on the legs and feet, could be something higher up perhaps? - in the shoulder for example
 
The flare was growing for a reason and without xrays I cannot see how the vet could just say put shoes on her, I would get her xrayed, she blocked out to the foot so you know that is where the lameness comes from, until you know what is going on inside trying to correct the hoof itself could prove to be a waste of time and possibly damaging long term.
 
be positive said:
The flare was growing for a reason and without xrays I cannot see how the vet could just say put shoes on her, I would get her xrayed, she blocked out to the foot so you know that is where the lameness comes from, until you know what is going on inside trying to correct the hoof itself could prove to be a waste of time and possibly damaging long term.
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I agree with this, my horse had a flare on front and he was xrayed then shod accordingly, x rays must be done first so you can see what is going on in the foot.
 
I'm another that thinks the horse probably grew the extra hoof in an odd way for a reason (especially if feet looked fine before lameness and it's been going on a while), possibly to compensate for a problem of some description somewhere in that limb. I'm not a vet and haven't seen the horse so it's quite possible the view I'm taking is incorrect but if what you're doing isn't working then perhaps a proper workup involving nerve blocks to work out exactly where the lameness originates from (hey if your vet thinks foot then start there, if no improvement then you know it's not foot related and you need to look higher up, if that's where it blocks to then as has already been said x-rays may be the next sensible step to figure out what it is you're even dealing with (and whether treatment prescribed thus far is appropriate, although if it isn't making the horse sounder / showing tangible improvements likely to lead to soundness then I'd be questioning that any road)
 
be positive said:
The flare was growing for a reason and without xrays I cannot see how the vet could just say put shoes on her, I would get her xrayed, she blocked out to the foot so you know that is where the lameness comes from, until you know what is going on inside trying to correct the hoof itself could prove to be a waste of time and possibly damaging long term.
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this
 
WellyBaggins said:
Did the lameness block at the foot? You definitely need X-rays if so otherwise you are none the wiser really!
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This did the vet nerve block? and if blocked to foot why didn't he xray.

Fwiw my pony lands laterally - outside first on both front feet it doesn't make him lame - when he was lame he was doing it worse on the lame foot which I suspect had generated a collateral ligament strain but he also had reverse rotated pedal bones and blocked to coffin joint so there was other stuff going on too. No point in farrier just shoeing in the dark and potentially covering up a problem which hasn't been identified.
 
X-rays are quite limited when injury is in the hoof on what they will show up, you may pay out to find your none the wiser, an MRI on the other hand will give you an accurate diagnosis .

I am in the same boat , my horse ( just recovered from hind psd and a front collateral ) is now lame on the back end of the hoof on the only leg that hadn't been lame before. ( nerve block confirmed ) .

Vet suspects torn dft but it's guess work. I think I am going to pay for the MRI ( he's not insured as on renewal last year the insurance excluded nearly everything including all 4 limbs ) at least then I will know exactly what I'm dealing with, and the best way to go.
 
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xrays a much cheaper place to start though! no reason not to check hoof balance and whether that would point towards any particular problems. Hopefully the OP will come back with more info.
 
As my vet said They are only cheaper if they actually show something , and the chances are they will not,and then you have the expense of both.

Its a gambling game .
 
Big difference though - under £200 for some xrays compared to the cost (and getting to) and MRI that may not be covered by insurance - and if it is seriously eats into your insurance budget. We found out enough from xray and movement to get mine sound and as far as we know the OP has so far had very minimal investigation- you can surmise a fair amount about soft tissue from x-rays IMO so I disagree with your vet that the chances are they will not - they can show plenty. To go straight to MRI would seem very over the top to me especially as AFAIK treatment options are not that varied for hoof soft tissue issues anyway - but then I would only ever take shoes off for them these days.
 
X-rays are definitely the most logical place to start, it may well end up needing an MRI but it may not, I had one diagnosed on X-ray, the other had X-rays an then an MRI, x-rays are really not that pricey whereas an MRI is so makes sense to start there to me!
 
ester said:
Big difference though - under £200 for some xrays compared to the cost (and getting to) and MRI that may not be covered by insurance - and if it is seriously eats into your insurance budget. We found out enough from xray and movement to get mine sound and as far as we know the OP has so far had very minimal investigation- you can surmise a fair amount about soft tissue from x-rays IMO so I disagree with your vet that the chances are they will not - they can show plenty. To go straight to MRI would seem very over the top to me especially as AFAIK treatment options are not that varied for hoof soft tissue issues anyway - but then I would only ever take shoes off for them these days.
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I was just thinking with X Rays and how the horse is moving/wearing it's hooves and their overall form, surely a good educated guess can be made?
 
It worked for us.

nerve block- coffin joint/back of foot
xray - pedal bone positioning not optimal and contributing to flat soles
heels- under run
movement - landing laterally

treatment - improve angle of pedal bone/digital cushion to support it and rest/walk work only for any soft tissue damage
 
Exactly what I imagined ester. Getting P3 in a better position and the hoof and gait working better adding rest and gradual rehab is the treatment for soft tissue injury anyway isn't it?
 
I have limited funds , am not insured and therefore am going straight for MRI , that way I am sure of the diagnosis, the extent of damage and the optimal recovery /treatment if recovery is possible.

I cannot afford to give my horse of , time more than necessary to try things that may or may not work with a huge amount of guess work involved. With a £420 livery bill per month I need to ensure all time off is absolutely necessary as time is money!
 
Sadly a lot of injuries do require time to mend though, feet possibly more so. Though mine didn't need to work if he couldn't.
 
My horse had his MRI today he has a small amount of localised damage in his collateral ligament , had prp now rest and rehab.
In this instance my vet was right going straight to the MRI was the right move.
How is your horse doing op?
 
lannerch said:
My horse had his MRI today he has a small amount of localised damage in his collateral ligament , had prp now rest and rehab.
In this instance my vet was right going straight to the MRI was the right move.
How is your horse doing op?
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She's getting there thankfully :) had vet out a couple of times since posting, had x-rays and found the issue. X-ray showed small indication of side bone but at least now I know!
 
IndiaMoonpig said:
Just wondering whether anyone can offer any form of advice really.

My mare (5 year old ISH) is on loan and due back in about 6 weeks. However she's been lame for a while now. Initially, we thought it was a stone bruise (vet was consulted) so put her on box rest but after a couple of weeks of box rest, had the farrier check for an abscess just in case. Farrier said it wasn't an abscess and suggested we called the vet to get it checked. Vet called and she was taken in for nerve blocking. Vet trotted her up on the tarmac at the horsepital (quite stoney on the yard so couldn't really do it there) and said that there was a flare on her left front hoof that was causing her to fall on her hoof on the outer edge and that was the cause of the lameness. .
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This is what my youngster had with an imbalance between the inside and the outside of the foot and it resulted in sheared heels. Could this be what is causing your horse lameness?
 
I'd poultice the life out of the foot for a week, sometimes an abscess can sit there causing an insignificant lameness for weeks, I had this happen with my horse, vet in the end after X-rays and nerve blocks, told me to take him home, trim his feet regularly and let time work on it. Farrier trimmed the foot, now 6 weeks since the last trim, pus blasted out in all directions yet hadn't shown up on the X-ray.
 
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